She said she picked Twiggy because she had seen some photographs of her, liked how she made up her eyes and thought it would be fun to do them in a picture.

She said she designed the image, then attached tangled thread to rubber cement on a background of transparent paper to make her piece. She framed it behind glass.

Bonagura said she was impressed with Esty.

"She really listened to me and really cared," Bonagura said. "She made you feel so valuable. She is so high up, but she shows she wants the best for everybody."

Since the competition began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated.

Bonagura said she was glad to see there was support for the arts.

"Some people feel it's overlooked, but I saw that art is important and those in Congress value it and want to keep it," she said. "It's not something they want to let go of."

Esty said she was glad of the program that showcases the talents of so many students through the years.

"Literally, millions of people see this art every year as they walk down the halls," she said.

The Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury served as the selection committee for the pieces submitted for the competition. Esty said she'll encourage other high schools to submit student works for the program, too.

"It's a great way to celebrate their art and their vision," Esty said, as well as the diversity of subject matter and media.

She said Bonagura chose not to do a line drawing as an assignment and asked permission to do this thread picture instead.

"Art teaches students not only to excel in art but to see the world differently, and that ability is important. We need to nurture it in all children," Esty said.

Public schools must continue to provide art programs for children, Esty said, for those who wouldn't be exposed to the arts at home and for those for whom art is their talent and gift that should be nurtured.

The Arts Education Partnership has created ArtsEdSearch.org -- the nation's first clearinghouse of research examining the mounting body of evidence on the benefits of an arts education.

On its website it notes:

"As the country becomes increasingly diverse, the world more interconnected, and the workplace more oriented around technology and creativity -- arts education is key to such a system and to ensuring students' success in school, work and life."